


The Hoarse Whisper

by Persiflage



Series: Berena Kissing Prompts [5]
Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bathing/Washing, Bernie Wolfe Lives, Canon Schmanon, Cheerfully Ignoring Any and All Canon as the Lord Intended, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F, Flash Fic, Future Fic, Inspired by Photography, Soft Bernie Wolfe, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23049658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persiflage/pseuds/Persiflage
Summary: Future Fic: Serena comes home from a difficult night shift to the love and care of her beloved wife, Bernie Wolfe.
Relationships: Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe
Series: Berena Kissing Prompts [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1633291
Comments: 10
Kudos: 70





	The Hoarse Whisper

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bat_and_Breakfast](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bat_and_Breakfast/gifts), [Rauz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rauz/gifts).



> Inspired by [this photo of Jemma Redgrave](https://pers-books.tumblr.com/post/611859671231397888/dont-know-where-this-is-from-so-im-just-gonna) and written for the prompt _a hoarse whisper “kiss me”_ (from my Kissing Prompts collection).

When Serena gets home from the hospital she finds Bernie in their kitchen, wearing her customary black skinny jeans and a soft, pale pink shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, a couple of buttons unfastened to show off a hint of cleavage as well as her collarbones. Her hair is no longer bottle blonde these days, instead it’s brown threaded with silver, and tied back in a ponytail as it’s longer than she ever allowed it to be while she was serving with the RAMC, or indeed while she was first working in Holby, and the sight of it stirs Serena despite her weariness.

“Morning, love,” Bernie says, pausing in her breakfast preparations to bestow a kiss on Serena, who’s just back from her night shift at the hospital. “Breakfast?”

“Please,” Serena rasps. Then, because her shift has included the loss of a patient, despite everyone’s best efforts, she adds in a hoarse whisper, “Kiss me?”

Bernie’s there in an instant, hands cupping her face carefully and eyes searching Serena’s intently. Then her whole expression relaxes, and she nods, quick and sharp, before leaning in and kissing Serena, soft and sweet. Her hands drop to Serena’s shoulders, then slide around her body, gently easing her closer, all without breaking their kiss. For her part, Serena’s arms have already wrapped around Bernie’s body, enjoying the contrasting softness of her shirt and the firmness of her muscles. They’ll each be 60 in a handful of months, but Bernie still runs and works out often enough to give her taut muscles, a firm backside, and a washboard stomach. Serena would hate her for it, with her own curves and less firm flesh, but she cannot hate Bernie for anything, and at least the exercise serves as a counter to the occasional cigarette in which her wife still indulges.

The need to breathe becomes overwhelming so Serena pulls back and smiles, unseen, when Bernie rests their foreheads together, then nudges Serena’s nose with her own. 

“Bad one?” Bernie asks, her voice low and husky – probably from desire rather than the aforementioned cigarettes.

“Lost the little lad in bed 4,” Serena answers.

“Oh love, I’m sorry.” Bernie’s arms tighten around her and she pecks a brief kiss to Serena’s lips. They both know how much losing children affects Serena even nearly a decade after she lost Elinor. “What do you want first, food or sleep?”

“Food,” Serena answers, her response reinforced by a startlingly loud gurgle from her stomach, which makes Bernie chuckle softly.

“Breakfast it is, then. And why don’t I draw you a bath after that – have a nice soak before you sleep to help you to relax?”

“Berenice Griselda Wolfe, I love you.”

Bernie chuckles again. “You’re so easy, Campbell,” she says in a teasing tone. Serena swats at her backside but allows her wife to settle her at the kitchen table for breakfast. Once she’s set a big mug of coffee – “Strong and hot, just as you like it” – in front of Serena, Bernie drops a kiss to the top of her head, then goes upstairs to run the promised bath.

When Serena enters their bedroom after finishing her breakfast, the curtains – with a blackout lining to enable sleep during the day – are tightly closed, there’s two jasmine-scented candles burning in the room, and steam is wafting out of their ensuite bathroom. Bernie comes out of the bathroom with one of her soft smiles tugging at the corners of her mouth, then she proceeds to undress Serena with a slow reverence that leaves tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She guides her wife into the bathroom where the large bathtub is full of lavender-scented steaming water. 

Serena can’t help uttering a soft moan of pleasure as Bernie first hands her into the tub, then proceeds to wash her back while Serena does her front, arms, and legs. Afterwards, Bernie towels her dry with exactly the same kind of care and reverence that she’d used to undress Serena before, then helps her into her favourite pair of flannel pyjamas before guiding her to the bed.

“I’ve got to go for my eye test appointment this morning,” Bernie reminds her, “but I shouldn’t be gone more than an hour, ninety minutes tops.”

Serena nods, sleep already tugging at her senses. “Okay. Thank you for taking care of me this morning.”

“Always,” Bernie says. She leans down and presses a kiss to Serena’s forehead, nuzzles their noses together, then presses a chaste kiss to her lips. “Sleep well, love.”

“Mmhmm.” Serena doesn’t try to fight it when her eyes close, and she doesn’t even hear Bernie going out because she’s already more asleep than awake. Her last conscious thought before sleep entirely overtakes her is that she is the luckiest woman in the world to have Berenice Griselda Wolfe for her wife.


End file.
